Romney Aide To Reporters: 'Kiss My ... This Is A Holy Site'

Mitt Romney, at the top right, as he prepared to get into his car even as reporters were shouting questions.

Politico

Originally published on July 31, 2012 1:02 pm

Note: there is a mild obscenity in this post.

We have a feeling this quote will loom large in campaign 2012 lore:

"Kiss my ass; this is a holy site for the Polish people."

Rick Gorka, a spokesman for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, has since apologized to the press corps for saying that today as he grew increasingly frustrated with the journalists. The reporters were shouting questions at Romney as the candidate left Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, where he had visited Poland's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

To the journalists, it was the only opportunity they might get today or this week to interact with Romney. To Gorka, obviously, the questions were a rude intrusion. He asked them to "show some respect." Romney ignored it all.

Listen to the audio in the clip. Who was more out of order? The reporters who were shouting or Gorka who used some sharp words to try to put them in their place?

Update at 1:45 p.m. ET. A Tense Exchange In 2008:

This incident brought back to mind an encounter in January 2008 between Romney and AP reporter Glen Johnson, which grew heated as Johnson asked questions about whether lobbyists were running Romney's campaign that year. Politico has an account of that incident here. And there's video here. It ends with Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom, who is still with Romney, telling Johnson he was "out of line."